How To Conquer Heart Failure

When your heart muscle becomes rigid or weakens, it loses its ability to pump blood efficiently, depriving your organs and tissues of oxygen and nutrients. If you are struggling with symptoms of heart failure, the cardiovascular physician Frisco, TX, at Prime Heart and Vascular is ready to walk with you on your journey to healing.

What you should know about heart failure

Congestive heart failure, commonly known as heart failure, is a disorder in which your heart weakens to the point where it cannot pump blood to your body as expected. When this occurs, blood flows backward, and fluid can accumulate in your lungs, resulting in shortness of breath. Specific heart conditions like coronary artery disease and high blood pressure gradually weaken or stiffen the heart interfering with its ability to function efficiently. Your heart I a large muscle that contracts and relaxes to supply blood to your veins and arteries. The arteries then deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and organs while your veins take the spent blood back to the heart, and the cycle begins again. But if your heart muscle is faulty, your tissues may not receive nutrients and oxygen, and blood may also pool in your digestive tract, lungs, and legs. Although it is a life-threatening disorder, you can reverse some symptoms of heart failure by adjusting your lifestyle, such as exercising, losing weight, managing stress, and reducing salt intake. People with severe heart failure may need a ventricular assist device (VAD) or a heart transplant.

Available treatment options for heart failure

During your appointment at Prime Heart and Vascular, your provider may discuss your symptoms, review your medical history and perform a thorough physical exam. After diagnosis, they may educate you about the available treatment options before developing an individualized treatment plan. Your treatment will rely on the severity of your symptoms. And the type of heart failure. Early treatment increases your chances of recovery, but you may still need to attend follow-up appointments every 3-6 months. Your therapy may include the following:

• Medication

If you have mild heart failure, your provider may prescribe medications to alleviate your symptoms and prevent the disorder’s progression. These medications include blood thinners, beta-blockers, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, and cholesterol-lowering medications.

• Bypass surgery

If you have a severe form of heart failure, your provider may recommend bypass surgery. During the procedure, your surgeon takes a healthy piece of vein or artery and attaches it to the blocked artery to allow blood to bypass the blocked or damaged part and flow through the new one.

• Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)

This procedure involves using a catheter with a balloon attached to one end. Your provider inserts the catheter into the blocked artery and inflates the balloon, opening it up. The team may need to place a permanent tent to keep the artery open and prevent further narrowing.

If you are in your final stages of heart failure and other treatments have proven futile., a heart transplant may be the only option.

Call the Prime Heart and Vascular office for more information about heart failure or book an appointment online.